Flight of Your Life
by Krisuvial
Summary: Looking at me you'd think I was an average girl, with an average family, and average problems. I wish that were my life. I'm far from average. No one knows my secret. And if anyone found out , well, people would be killed. My family, my problems, and my life are far from average. Foster siblings, a sadistic father, jealous girls, broken promises. And my secret. Welcome to my life.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all. So a new story. Been reading a bunch of fics and decided to try a new idea out. I'm not abandoning "Defying Gravity" so don't worry. I just wanted to see how this one would turn out. Cool thing about this story is I've actually got the plot in my head. I'm not just coming up with it as I go along. So we'll see. **

**Before we begin, I never intentionally take another person's ideas. So if anything in my story sounds familiar, please don't flame me. I guarantee my messed up brain came up with everything you are about to read. I would give credit if I was using another person's ideas ^-^**

**Disclaimer: JP is the man. He own MR and anything found in his books.**

**Claimer: My characters, my plot, etc...**

**On with the story!**

* * *

"_Another_ foster kid, Mom?" I asked incredulously. "We really don't have the room..."

"Yes we do, honey," my mom, Valencia Martinez, replied as she took the next exit. "Since we finished the basement. Iggy already agreed to share his room."

So his name is Nicolas. "Our house isn't really big enough for so many people," I complained. This was true. Our home was a modest two-story Victorian. We had just recently finished the basement. There were already eight people living in the house. Now there would be nine, in six bedrooms.

"And Lily will share with Angel," Mom continued.

"Hold up!" I exclaimed. "Lily? We don't have a Lily at home."

"Nicolas' sister," Mom explained patiently. "We have to move rooms around."

"We don't have room for ten people!" I cried.

"Of course we do," Mom sighed. "You of course will keep your own room. Since it's the smallest anyway. Nicolas will share the other basement room with Iggy. Gazzy and Tommy already share, so that's not a problem. Ella and Nudge will share. Same with Lily and Angel."

I shook my head, staring out the window. Mom was crazy for taking in so many kids.

Our drive finally ended. Mom pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be a large office building. I silently followed her up the stairs and into the building to the secretary's desk.

While Mom talked, I looked around. There was a huge fountain in the center of the room. Hard plastic chairs surrounded it. Dozens of people, young and old, were both sitting and wandering around. I wondered what they could possibly be waiting for in such a huge office building.

"Okay, they are in room 509," Mom announced. "The pediatric wing is the fifth floor I guess."

Mom started walking towards an elevator. "Um, are there stairs?" I asked her nervously.

"You want to walk up five flights of stairs?" Mom questioned.

I nodded, turning to look for stairs. I was terrified of small spaces. And that included elevators. Of course, Mom didn't know why. That was a secret I'd take to my grave. Because I was dead if I ever spoke of it.

"I am _not _walking up five flights of stairs, Max," Mom warned. "Get in the elevator."

I spotted the staircase. "I'll just meet you up there," I whispered, rushing to the safety of the stairs.

I heard Mom yell my name as I passed over the threshold. My heart was racing. This was a hospital. I hadn't realized it at first. Dammit. Mom had no idea about what happened when I was little, so I can't blame her. But I wanted to get this trip over and done with as fast as possible.

Mom was waiting outside room 509 when I made it up the stairs. She gave me "the look" and then composed herself as we entered the room.

I silently counted to 100, trying to calm my breathing. I know my face was blank, but if I had to speak I'd give away my calm charade. Thankfully Mom was doing all of the talking for me.

"...Valencia Martinez and my oldest daughter, Max," Mom was telling the doctor in the room. I quickly looked away. The white coat was bringing up memories I'd buried.

"These are Nicolas and Lilith Parker," the doctor informed us, motioning to the two children sitting on the hospital bed. Two suitcases sat on the ground next to them.

Mom said something to the doctor. I quit listening to their conversation and examined the two. The girl, Lilith, was tiny. She was four, but looked more like two. She had obviously been malnourished most of her young life. Her bright green eyes were wide and curious, though. A good sign. She had little black curls that had recently been washed framing her face. She wore a pale yellow dress that was clearly brand new.

The boy was much, much older. My age. So about fifteen. He was extremely thin, with dark circles around his eyes. His black eyes. I could see so much pain in them. He had longish black hair that kind of flopped down over part of his face. He wore a long-sleeve shirt, like me, and black jeans.

I quickly looked away when he met my eyes. From the surprise that appeared in his, I could only assume he'd seen something in mine.

Not what I wanted to happen.

"Alright, guys," Mom said in a cherry voice. "Why don't we get going to your new home?"

Lily jumped up, grinning. "You seem nice," she commented.

Mom smiled gently. "I try, Lily," she replied.

Lily beamed. "You don't call me Lilith!" she exclaimed. "I like you."

Hope shone in the little girl's eyes. I bit my lip. Such an innocent child. Just from her appearance I could tell they'd been abused. Her not so badly as him, but still. And yet she had so much hope still. I can't remember having any at her age...

I shook my head to clear my mind. I couldn't think of that. Not now. We had to get back home and I had homework to finish. Tomorrow was Thursday... Which meant the day after I'd be at my dad's. For the weekend. Then another four days of school. And then spring break, which meant I'd be at my dad's for ten days.

Damn this state.

We got into the car. I climbed in the passenger seat. Nicolas sat behind Mom in a captain's chair. Mom had gotten a booster for Lily and it was in the captain's chair behind me.

The drive home was fairly calm. Lily asked Mom a ton of questions. I stared out the window, finally able to calm myself since I was no longer in the hospital. Cars weren't much better than elevators, but at least I wasn't as trapped.

"Lily, you will share a room with Angel," Mom said as we pulled into town almost two hours later. "Nicolas will share with Iggy."

"Fang," Lily announced.

"What, sweetie?" Mom wondered, clearly confused.

"Him. Fang," Lily answered, pointing at Nicolas. "Not Nicolas. Fang."

"Fang?" Mom asked. She looked in the rear-view mirror at the teenage boy behind her. "Is that what you prefer?"

Fang looked at Lily and nodded once. "See?" the little girl questioned.

Fang. What a name.

We finally pulled into our driveway. I quickly got out of the car and took a deep breath. I hated being in cars...

"MOM'S HOME!" someone- Gazzy- shouted from inside the house.

"Welcome to the circus," I muttered to Fang, leading the way into the house. I wasn't sure he even heard me.

"Just in time for supper, Val," Iggy announced. I sniffed the air. Chicken. My favorite. I smile slightly. Iggy was an amazing cook, especially for a fourteen-year-old. He had no choice but to learn to cook at a young age. His previous foster parents never cooked for the kids, so Iggy took it upon himself to learn how so they could eat.

Our supper bell rang. Three people ran downstairs, almost crashing into us as they rounded the corner.

"Sorry, Mom," Angel gasped.

"It was his idea!" Tommy exclaimed, pointing at Gazzy.

"Let's just go eat, huh?" Mom suggested. The kids nodded and made their way to the dining room.

I led Fang and Lily into the dining room. Mom grabbed an old booster seat from the closet for Lily since she was too short to reach the table. Fang sat next to her, and I sat on his other side.

Iggy sat at the head of the table. Ella, Nudge, Tommy, and Gazzy sat on the bench against the far wall. Angel sat next to Lily. And Mom sat at the other end.

Mom insisted on saying grace. As soon as she was done people were shouting for food to be passed around.

I loaded my plate. Grilled chicken, smashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. Fang served himself last, silently making sure everyone else had food first.

I loaded my plate a second time. And I gave Fang a ton of seconds. "You need the calories," I whispered.

He ate slowly, savoring each bite. I, on the other hand, ate quickly. I needed to eat as much food as I could before I left Friday. I never got enough to eat at my dad's house. Especially since I needed more food than normal people...

"May I be excused?" Tommy asked when he was done.

"No," Mom answered. "Everyone, your new housemates are here. These are Fang and Lily. Let's introduce ourselves, ok?"

"I'm Angel!" Angel announced. "I'm seven. And I just started dance class!"

"I'm Gazzy," Gazzy stated. "I'm nine. Um, I love video games."

"I'm Tommy," my half-brother announced. "I'm ten and I play soccer?"

"I'm Nudge," Nudge said. "I'm twelve and I love to shop. And Mom says we can go shopping this weekend to get you guys stuff but Max won't be there 'cuz she has to go to her dad's for the weekend Friday but that's ok 'cuz the rest of us will still be there."

"I'm Ella," my half-sister said. "I'm thirteen. I dance too."

"I'm Iggy," Iggy announced. "I'm fourteen. And I'm blind. But I still cook better than Max!"

"I'm Max," I sighed. "Fifteen."

Everyone looked at Fang expectantly. Lily grinned, bouncing in her seat. "I'm Lily!" she announced. "I'm four. He's Fang. He don't talk."

That did not surprise me one bit.

"Like, not at all?" Nudge asked. "How can you _not_ talk?"

Lily shrugged. "I never heard him."

"Alright, Iggy and Ella, dishes," Mom delegated. "Angel, let's show Lily her room. Max, you can show Fang. Everyone else, bedtime at nine. It's a school night."

Groans came from around the table. I motioned for Fang to follow me. Lily gave him a tight hug and then followed Angel and Mom upstairs. I led Fang downstairs.

"You and Iggy will be sharing this room," I stated, pulling open the door. The room was already cluttered with Iggy's stuff even though he had only been in the room since Monday night.

Fang put his suitcase on the empty bed. He looked at me, a tiny bit of curiosity in his dark eyes.

"Um, we have a bathroom down here," I continued, motioning towards the door on the left. "You, me, and Iggy share it. My room opens up to it, too. Uh, come over if you even need anything, I guess. But knock first."

Fang nodded once and turned to his suitcase. I quietly left and went into the mess I called a room.

Iggy was lounging on my futon. He looked right at me when I shut the door. "Something's on your mind."

I sighed. For a blind guy he was very observant.

"Spring break is coming up," I muttered.

"I guess you're spending it at your dad's, since you seem totally depressed about it," Iggy said.

I nodded, then remembered he could see that. "Yep."

"If you don't want to go to your dad's, just don't," Iggy suggested.

I groaned, flopping down on my bed. "It's not that easy."

You know, since if I don't go to his house my half-siblings (his kids) will pay for it.

Like I could tell anyone that, though.

"Just tell Val you don't want to go anymore," Iggy said, standing up and stretching.

"I can't not go," I sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

Iggy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm gonna go talk to Fang, see if I can get him to speak. Sounds like a pretty cool challenge to me."

"Good luck," I muttered as he left. Finally I was alone.

* * *

"So, I'm Iggy."

Fang turned around. The tall, pale boy he'd met at supper was suddenly seated on the opposite bed. His sightless eyes were gazing at him, but not focused.

"Well, this will be interesting," Iggy muttered to himself. "I'm blind and you don't talk. That's quite a communication barrier..."

Fang allowed himself to smirk. He knew a bit of sign language, but what good is that if the other person can't see it? Not that he really wanted to communicate with anyone, but still...

"Ok, this is going to be way awkward," Iggy decided. He stood up, bumping into Fang and then into his own dresser on his way to the door.

He left. Fang silently sighed and sat on his bed. The room was very small, especially with two sets of furniture. But it was already better than his past homes...

For now at least. Fang had seen the haunted look in Max's eyes at the hospital. The fear. He wasn't sure if it was caused by Val or someone else. He didn't feel very safe here just yet, either way. Anything to make fear show so vividly in someone who was clearly trying to hide it was dangerous.

Plus she wore a long-sleeve shirt. Clearly hiding something, since it was almost seventy degrees already.

He would know.

But what could she be hiding? For some reason Fang wanted to find out. Something seemed very, off, about this girl. And he felt the need to protect her.

From what he had no idea.

But he would still try.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaand that's the first chapter. What do you think? Worth continuing? Let me know lovely readers!**

**Oh, and FYI:**

**Max and Fang are fifteen. Iggy is fourteen (he will be fifteen soon). Ella is thirteen. Nudge is twelve. Tommy is ten. Gazzy is nine. Angel is seven. Lily is four. Dr .M is 34. And other characters will be introduced later. Max, Ella, and Tommy are Dr. M's kids. Gazzy and Angel are blood siblings, like normal. As are Fang and Lily. Gazzy and Angel are also adopted by Dr. M. The others are all foster kids.**

**If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I will answer them (unless they give away the plot!).**

**Goodnight my lovely fanfictioners!**

**-Krisuvial-**


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys actually liked it! Thank you so much!**

**Fyre and Water- Thank you for being my first reviewer! Glad you love it!  
**

**BirdKid13 and 16craftytigers- Thank you both!**

**And thanks to those who favorited and followed this story! I appreciate it so much!**

**On with the story!**

**P.S. I'm not doing the whole disclaimer and claimer thing every chapter. I think the first chapter gets the point across enough.**

* * *

I groaned, stretching. Morning came quicker than I'd hoped. I barely slept at all last night...

I pushed open the bathroom door. I shrugged off the lightweight sweater I'd slept in and tossed it into the hamper. Even though it was warm out, there was no way I would let anyone see my arms or back. Then they would put two and two together, and I would be in way more trouble then I had ever been in.

I heard snoring from the boys' room. Iggy. Man did he snore. I mean, I could hear it through the wall! I turned to the sink and grabbed my toothbrush. I closed my eyes while I brushed. I hated looking at myself in the mirror.

I didn't hear the door open. Or hear Fang step into the room. But I did hear the soft gasp that came from him.

I spit the toothpaste in my mouth out and dropped my toothbrush. I spun around, eyes wide.

Fear shone in Fang's eyes, which grew as my mom called for us to wake up.

I understood immediately.

"No, no, God, no," I gasped. Fang sunk to his knees. "She didn't do this to me. I swear. She never would."

I knelt down next to Fang, grabbing a towel to wrap around my skin. "No, my mom would never hurt anyone. She's a doctor. An animal doctor."

Fang's hands shakily signed something. _Who?_

I bit my lip. "I... I can't say," I whispered. "But I swear it wasn't my mom. Ugh, if she ever found out he did this..."

Fang looked me in the eye. _Who?_ he signed again.

I shook my head. "No. We all have our secrets. This is mine."

Fang took a few breaths, then stood up. I copied him.

"Don't tell anyone," I pleaded. "I can't... No one is supposed to know. _Lives_ are at stake."

Fang nodded once. _Sorry_, he signed.

"It's ok," I sighed. "It's a good thing I know sign language if that's the only way you communicate."

A knock sounded on the guy's door. "Max? You in here?"

"Yeah, Igg," I answered, my voice much calmer now. "And I'm done."

I motioned for Fang to follow me into my room. He looked around.

"There's not much to see," I said.

I had a twin bed, a futon, a dresser, desk, and TV up on the wall. That pretty much summed my room up. It was small, but it was my space, so it didn't scare me. Posters covered the blue walls. I had an Xbox hooked up to my TV and a guitar in the corner by my futon. Clothes and random piles of books and junk were scattered around the room.

"It's an organized mess," I stated, seeing the look Fang gave me. "I know where everything is at least."

"If you want to eat I'd suggest getting up here now!"

I rolled my eyes. "Mom always wants us to eat breakfast. But I never do. Usually I grab some poptarts or something on my way out the door. I value my sleep. Um, I gotta get ready for school now, so..."

Fang smirked and left the room. I quickly changed into a long-sleeve shirt under a t-shirt with ACDC on the front, and blue jeans. Sneakers and a ponytail finished off my outfit.

I grabbed my backpack and hurried up the stairs. "SHOTGUN!" I announced, grabbing poptarts from the cabinet.

"Fang, you and Lily won't start until Monday," Mom said. I hadn't realized Fang had come up yet. "Lily is still sleeping anyways. I am dropping the others off at school and then I have to work. I hate to leave you here alone on your first day, but I'm sure you'll manage. My work phone number is next to the phone. There is plenty of food, so help yourselves to whatever you'd like for lunch. I won't be home 'til about six tonight, but someone should be home around three."

"That would be me," I mumbled, biting into my breakfast. I grabbed a bottle of water and followed Iggy to Mom's car.

We were supposed to take a bus to school, but I never was ready on time. Nor was Iggy, so Mom had to drive us. Which was fine with me. I hated the bus.

We had ten minutes before class began once Mom dropped us off. Iggy followed me into the school. We stopped at my locker first. I grabbed the books I needed for my first three classes and shoved them into my backpack. Then I brought Iggy to his classroom. Since he was blind he was in special classes. Our school actually had a curriculum for blind and hard-of-seeing people. We got kids from all over the county here who wanted to go to public school. It was way better than the expensive alternative, Bently School for the Blind, a boarding school three hours away.

After I dropped Iggy off I went to my first class. Algebra One. Whoever decided math was a good first-period class was dead wrong.

The only good thing about this class, or my schedule at all, was that I had six of my nine classes with my best friend, Brett. He was the first non-family member I'd met after my mom got partial custody of me. Until then I'd never had any friends. I'd never known anyone outside of... well, that place.

Yeah, my best friend is a guy. Bite me.

"Yo, Max!" Brett greeted me. I grinned at him. "Word on the street is your mom got another foster."

I sighed, sliding onto my seat next to him. "Yeah. Two actually. Siblings. The boy's our age. The girl is four."

"What a freak."

I mentally groaned, then looked up. Shelly, my worst enemy (at school at least), was staring down at me. "I mean, that's how many now? Twenty? Gosh, you must all share the same clothes or something."

I rolled my eyes. "Shelly, at least my mom does _good _for the world instead of glamorize pollution."

Shelly's mom was the poster woman for something or other. All I knew about it was that the product was way bad for the earth, and we would be sorry for it one day.

"At least my mom makes decent money," Shelly retorted. This much was true. My mom did fine, but we never would be able to buy anything really fancy. Shelly's mom brought in enough money to buy a few small countries.

Shelly's friend Liz suddenly appeared. She flipped her hair and grinned at Brett. "So, Brett, any plans for the weekend?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Actually, yeah," Brett answered, clearly uninterested. "Sorry."

Liz pouted. "Well, text me when you're free, ok?"

"Whatever," Brett replied.

"Quiet down!" Mr. Brennan called from the front of the room. Liz gave me a dirty look before turning around.

"What did I ever do to her?" I muttered.

"Not that it's your fault, Max," Brett whispered. "But you're the hottest girl in the school. Plus she things you're with me."

I rolled my eyes. Me, hot. Sure. "Sorry, dude, but you're like my brother."

Brett sighed, fake-hurt. "Forever friend-zoned."

I smirked. "Got that right, buddy."

A few minutes went by where we actually pretended to pay attention to Brennan.

"God, why doesn't she leave me alone?" Brett groaned. I silently laughed. Liz kept leaning back to try to talk to Brett for the last fifteen minutes. In response, he'd pretended to be totally engrossed in the lesson.

She didn't give up though.

"Maybe if you just got a girlfriend already, she'd leave you alone," I whispered.

Brett rolled his eyes this time. "Like I have time for that between work and school."

I nodded. His mom died a year ago, leaving his dad to raise six kids. They weren't terribly bad off, but Brett had to get a job to help make ends meet. He'd gotten one the day he turned fifteen, nearly eight months ago, at a garage hid older brother had worked at before leaving for college. He loved his job, but he literally spent all of his free time there. If he wasn't there, he was babysitting.

"So what are your plans this weekend?" Brett asked.

"My dad's," I answered sullenly.

"At least you'll be eighteen in a few years," Brett replied after a minute. "Then you never have to see him again."

I closed my eyes. If it were just that easy...

The bell rang shortly after our conversation. We grabbed our books and hurried out of the room before the two girls noticed we were gone.

Next I had Spanish. Thankfully with Brett again. This was one of my easiest classes. Mom spoke Spanish fluently, so I had someone to actually practice with.

Spanish flew by, followed by history and then English. Then we had lunch.

Iggy was already sitting at our table when we walked into the cafeteria. He was talking to Chris, grinning about something or other. I grabbed lunch real fast and joined the guys.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Chris asked me, eying the mystery meat on my plate.

I shrugged. "I'm hungry."

Iggy snorted. "She can eat more than all three of us combined without gaining a pound."

"And you wonder why the girls here are jealous of you," Brett smirked.

Suddenly Jack, a senior and captain of the football team, walked over to our table. I groaned, seeing him heading our way.

"Shoot me now," I mumbled.

"Maxie," Jack greeted. I bit my lip. That name... "So. You and me. Dinner and a movie later?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, have plans already."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Brett. "I can show you a much better time that this guy can, babe."

I counted to ten in my head. "I'm not going to be in town."

"Alright, we can do something over spring break then," Jack decided. He then abruptly left.

I glared at my food. "Does he not understand I don't want him?"

Brett and Iggy laughed.

"Shut it," I snapped.

_RINGGGGGGGGGGGG_

Saved by the bell.

* * *

Fang watched Dr. M's car drive away. Once it was out of sight he decided to explore a bit. He and Lily would be alone until at least three, so he wasn't worried.

All of the upstairs bedrooms were shut, so Fang left them alone. There was one bathroom on the second floor and another on the first. On the first floor there was a living room with a huge TV and multiple gaming stations, along with a VHS/DVD player. Three couches surrounded the TV. Two large bookshelves sat against two walls, full of everything from picture books to encyclopedias. The living room opened to a playroom full of toys. Across the hall was the dining room and kitchen.

It was a small house, but it felt cozy.

And it seemed safe. Max was adamant that her mom wasn't the cause of her scars. Of course, Fang was skeptical about that still. But the other kids seemed to love Dr. M. and no one seemed to fear her. So maybe Max had told the truth.

"FANG!"

Fang jumped. Lily was standing in front of him. He'd gone back to the kitchen and was just standing in the middle of the room, thinking.

He did that a lot, actually.

"I'm hungry," Lily announced.

Fang nodded, then looked in the fridge. It was about eight-thirty. So still breakfast time.

Silently he pulled out eggs and held the carton up. Lily's eyes widened and she nodded happily. "Scrambled!"

Fang set to work. He made enough for himself and Lily. He also poured them each a glass of milk and made some toast.

"Mmmm yummy!" Lily announced. "Thanky!"

Fang nodded again. He quickly cleaned up their dishes while Lily ran off to play in the playroom.

Unsure of what he could and couldn't do, Fang decided to play it safe. He found some paper, a pencil, and took a seat in the living room where he could keep an eye on his little sister.

Drawing was his passion. He could spend hours drawing, and tended to when he could get away from everyone. It was his escape.

Of course, he always got so lost in his drawing that he ignored everything around him.

"You're amazing."

Fang jumped, letting his art fall to the ground. He froze, terrified of being caught. He hadn't done anything productive all day. And now he would pay.

"God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! Fang?"

Wait. The person- a she- was calling him Fang? Only Lily and now the Martinez family ever actually called him Fang.

He looked up slowly. Max was kneeling next to him, a look of concern on her face.

Fang blinked. It was just Max.

"Fang?" Lily asked, scared. He felt her small hand grip his.

Fang shook his head and stood up. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Noon.

Max followed his gaze. "I, um, decided to skip the rest of the day," she stated.

"Can we eat again?" Lily asked Max. "I'm hungry."

"Of course," Max answered. Fang silently followed the two girls into the kitchen. He found it odd that she wasn't confused by his sister's question.

Lily climbed onto the counter while Max pulled out two pizza boxes from the freezer.

"Mmmm, pizza!" Lily clapped her hand excitedly.

"Pretty much the only thing I can cook," Max stated.

Fang leaned against the counter. Max shoved the pizzas in the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.

"So, Lily, what do you like to do for fun?" Max wondered, turning to face the little girl.

"Play!" Lily exclaimed.

"Play what?" Max wondered. She picked Lily up off the counter and held her.

"Games," Lily answered.

Max smirked. "Ok, then. What kind of games?"

"I don't know," Lily replied. "I dunno many. Fang don't tell me none."

Max looked over at Fang. He just shrugged slightly. Like he could tell Max that he hadn't taught his baby sister any games because he'd been too busy keeping their foster parents from hurting her, taking most of the abuse for himself.

"It's ok though," Lily suddenly announced. "'Cuz he protected me."

"From what?" Max asked.

Fang closed his eyes. _Don't say anything,_ he mentally pleaded.

"The bad guys," Lily answered, her little voice sounding so grown-up. "They hurt him so much."

When Fang dared to open his eyes and look at Max, he could only see understanding in her eyes.

Understanding? Why would she...?

And then it all clicked in his brain.

This girl he'd just met last night really did need a protector.

* * *

**So... Kinda not really much happening. Yet. But now you know the family and a little bit more of the character's personalities. Sorta...**

**What did you think? I love hearing from y'all! It seriously makes my day. And considering I have a pretty sucky life right now, I could really use the extra motivation!**

**So, in the words of Fang:**

**Fly on.**

**-Krisuvial-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yo, here's chapter three my lovely readers! Thanks to those who are favoriting and adding to alerts!**

**AvengingMax, SomeoneBeautiful, anf faxforever5678- Thank you all! I greatly appreciate your reviews!**

**16craftytigers- Next chapter ^-^**

**Read on!**

* * *

Lily was out cold before Max had even finished her pizza. Fang found it weird that Max could eat an entire pizza on her own. Especially since she was so skinny.

Fang let Lily sleep on the couch. He didn't want to risk waking her if he were to move her to her bed anyway. The poor kid needed as much quality rest as she could possibly get.

Wordlessly Fang washed the dishes. Max sat on the kitchen table, watching him.

"You know, Mom would do them when she got back from work," she finally said, breaking the silence. "Or get one of the other kids to help. She gets mad at me when I do them. Something about how I'm supposed to be a kid or something and to leave the dishes to her..."

Fang frowned. Would Dr. M. be mad at him too? But he was doing something useful, at least. She couldn't get too mad at him... Right?

Max chuckled. "No, I doubt she'll get mad at you. She doesn't want me doing dishes 'cuz when I first came here I was so used to not being allowed to eat unless I've already cleaned everything. She said she wanted to break me of that mindset or something."

Max quickly fell silent after that. Realization that she'd probably said too much flashed across her face.

Fang had an urge to speak. Not that he could though. So he did the next best thing. He grabbed some paper and wrote:_ You were abused._

Max jumped off the table after seeing the words. "Um, so I'm gonna go play some Xbox."

Fang took a deep breath, then grabbed Max's arm. She instantly pulled away, her eyes fearful.

_Your dad,_ Fang signed.

Max shivered. "I can't talk about it."

Fang bit his lower lip, closed his eyes, and nodded once.

Max let out a shaky breath. "Come with me," she whispered.

The two went down to Max's room. She left the door open so they could hear if Lily woke up or anyone came by.

"How'd you figure it out?" she asked, her voice strained. She handed Fang a pen and some paper.

_I know the signs._

"I knew the moment I saw you both that you were," Max stated. "But I tried so hard to hide it..."

_I know what to look for. _

"Funny thing is, Mom does too," Max sighed. She sat on her futon, legs to her chest. "And yet she suspects nothing. Well, not anymore at least."

_How come there's no little-kid pictures of you here?_

Max sighed again. "There's no little-kid pictures of me anywhere. I lived with my dad until I was thirteen."

She fell silent.

_I'm sorry,_ Fang signed.

Max shrugged. "Why? It's fine. I'm still alive and functioning."

Fang looked away during the ensuing silence. Did Max want him to say anything about his childhood? She'd just ask if she did, right? And it's not like she really told him anything... Did he need to offer any information?

Max reached behind her and grabbed a black controller. She turned her Xbox on. "Here," she said, tossing Fang a spare controller. He caught it, confused.

"We're gonna play Halo," Max stated. Fang cocked his head to the side. He'd never played video games before. His birth parents never bought them any, and his two foster families only bought systems for their "natural" children.

Seeing his confusion, Max explained how the buttons worked while waiting for the game to load. Before long the game was ready.

"The point is to get the most kills," Max stated when the game began.

They were mostly silent for the duration of the round. Occasionally Max complained about something or other in the game. They played four more games like this after Max pointed out that Fang was supposed to watch the bottom screen.

By the time they were done, Fang had learned something else about Max: She could curse in at least ten different languages.

Max stood and stretched, flipping the Xbox off. Fang could see that she seemed a little more relaxed after the game.

"I love this and COD," Max admitted. "Destressers,"

Fang nodded. Not that he would ever use violent games to relax, but he could see how much it helped her.

"FANG!"

In a second Fang was up the stairs. Lily was sitting on the couch, confused and worried. He scooped her up and she snuggled against his chest.

"I thought you was gone," she whispered.

Fang shook his head. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey, Lily," Max greeted. "Have a nice nap?"

Lily nodded, grinning at Max. "Yup. No scary dreams."

"Good," Max replied. "It's safe here, so you don't need to have scary dreams anymore."

Lily cocked her head to the side like Fang had done earlier. "You know what happened?" she asked, her voice scared.

"Some," Max admitted. "But I won't tell if you don't want me to."

Lily nodded, pleased with that. "K! I wanna play now."

Fang let Lily down. She ran into the playroom.

Max fell back onto the sofa. She flipped the TV on. "Anything you like?" she asked. Fang shook his head. He'd hardly ever watched TV before. "Ok, Bones it is then."

Fang sat on the other end of the sofa, legs-crossed. Max was silent for the duration of the show.

* * *

Bones. Probably my favorite show ever. I just loved the science, the drama, the crimes. And of course the characters.

The episode we started watching ended and a new one began. I glanced at the clock. It was three.

"I'm hungry," I commented during the first commercial break. "You want anything?"

Fang shook his head. I mentally sighed. Of course he wouldn't tell me if he did or not. Food was probably a privilege for him growing up.

"That was a rhetorical question," I stated. I got up and went into the kitchen. Hmmm. Sodas, chips, salsa, and berries. That makes a good snack, right?

I balanced everything and carried it back to the living room. Fang was still on the couch where I'd left him. I handed him a Coke and set the snack foods between us.

I was engrossed in the show. It was an episode I hadn't seen yet, which helped. I was thinking about maybe doing something like this for a career after college. But I wasn't sure yet.

College was only a dream right now anyway.

Before I knew it, it was four. Right on cue the front door slammed open. Angel and Gazzy ran into the living room.

"Max!" Angel exclaimed. She ran over and hugged me.

"How was school?" I asked.

"Great!" Angel answered. "I got an 'A' on my math test!"

"And you, Gazzy?" I wondered.

The boy looked down. "I hate school."

"What happened?" I demanded.

Gazzy shook his head. "I don't wanna talk about it."

He turned and sullenly went upstairs, to his room. Angel frowned.

"He wouldn't tell me either," she stated.

I sighed. "He'll tell us when he's ready. Got any homework?"

Angel shook her head. "Nope! So I can go play with Lily, right?"

I nodded. "Give me your backpack first. I want to check."

"Ok, so I might have a teeny worksheet," Angel said, handing over her pink backpack. I rolled my eyes and pulled out a pink folder.

A note in the front of her assignments side caught my eye. _To the parent(s) or guardian(s) of Angel Martinez._

"What's this note?" I wondered, looking up at the seven-year-old.

"Nothing," Angel answered sweetly.

I gave her a look.

"Ok, maybe I got in trouble," Angel whispered. Her eyes suddenly shone with fear. "Don't show Mom! She'll be so mad!"

"I have to tell Mom," I said. "It's for her. But she won't be mad. Not they way you think. Go play now if you want. You can do your homework at five."

Angel nodded, sniffled, and ran into the playroom.

Fang looked at me, confused.

"Um, I will explain things later, after supper," I decided. Since he was going to be living with us, he deserved to know at least something about each of us.

Fang nodded. We were silent after that. I changed the channel to _That 70's Show. _This show never failed to make me laugh.

Before long the door opened and shut. "Yo, I'm home."

"Living room, Iggy," I called out.

"It's pretty close to five," Iggy stated, walking into the living room. "Did Mom go shopping yet? I gave her a list of what I needed for supper the next few nights..."

"She didn't," I said, standing up. "But she _did_ leave money and the list. So I guess we can go get it."

"Ok, I need to start making my dressing then," Iggy said. "So I can't go with you this time. Sorry, Max."

"Oh," I replied. Great. I hated going to the store myself. Mostly because I _always_ ran into my dad when I was there. But we really needed to get groceries.

Fang must have sensed something in my voice because he stood up and quickly signed, _I'll go._

I gave him a grateful look. "Thanks. I'll explain on the way, I guess. Need anything else, Igg?"

"Nope, just buy _exactly_ what's on the list," Iggy said. "Exactly. Not something cheaper. If you have a question, call me."

I rolled my eyes. Usually Iggy came to make sure I actually bought what he wanted. I had a tendency to miss things and get the cheapest ones I could find.

He wants name brand, not store brand.

Honestly, I can't tell the difference. But he can, and apparently everyone else can too. But whatever. He always has what he needs written down clearly and with exact directions for either Mom or I when we go shopping.

And yet I still manage to mess it up...

Iggy turned to Fang. "Dude, take the list from her and make sure everything is exactly what is written. I don't trust her."

I glared at Iggy. Fang smirked next to me. I silently handed over the list, running through possible ways to murder my blind foster brother.

"Let's go," I sighed, slipping sandals on my feet. I hated shoes. Now that there was no snow on the ground, I could wear sandals again.

We started out the walk silently. Once the house was out of sight, I spoke.

"Um, thanks for coming," I said.

Fang shrugged.

"Seriously," I continued. "It means a lot. I tend to run into my, uh, father when I go to the store. Even though he lives nearly two hours away, he works here. And he usually grabs groceries on a daily basis, knowing there's a good chance he'll see me."

Fang said nothing. I noticed he tensed up a bit more after I was done speaking, though.

"It's just to scare me," I sighed. "He'd never hurt me out here."

There were too many witnesses.

We were silent for a few minutes.

"So, it's about a mile walk," I said to break the silence. "Which isn't too bad, except when there's a lot of groceries to carry. Normally I run. I can get there in about six minutes if I run. But I'm assuming you're not in any shape to run, so walking is fine."

Fang nodded once.

We continued on in silence. I didn't mind it this time. It was more or less a comfortable silence as apposed to an awkward one.

We finally reached the store. I grabbed a basket and we started down the first isle. Fang chose the items as we made our way to the store. The whole time he kept his head down, avoiding all eye contact. And I didn't miss how much more tense he became once we walked in.

We were almost done when I heard his voice. I had actually formed some hope I wouldn't run into him today.

I cringed.

"Maxie."

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and turned around. Jeb Batchelder was standing right there behind us, a basket in his arms.

"Who's this?" my father wondered, his voice a little too innocent. "Your boyfriend?"

I gritted my teeth. "You know I don't date."

"Oh?" my father replied. "Then who is he? Someone close to you?"

"He's my new foster brother," I mumbled.

"Oh, so Val decided to take in another troublemaker, then," Jeb commented. "How sweet of her. And how much is she getting for this one? I'm sure it's all starting to add up by now. Especially since she gets extra for that blind one."

Fang stiffened next to me. I'm sure he'd had at least one foster parent who'd taken them in just for the money. So I'm sure this comment messed with his brain.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Maxie," Jeb added. "And especially spring break. We're going to have so much fun. I've already got it all planned out."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Well, I'll pick you up from school tomorrow, dear," Jen finished. "Go and enjoy your supper."

He left. I looked up into Fang's eyes. So much emotion showed in them.

I bit my lip. "Let's just finish."

We grabbed the last few items and paid for everything. Our walk home was fast and silent. Fang went down to his room as soon as we got back. I stayed upstairs to help Iggy and make sure homework was getting done.

"You're tense," Iggy commented. "Saw your dad?"

"Yeah, Jeb was there," I mumbled, chopping up lettuce for salad. I peered into the dining room. "Nudge? How's that paper coming?"

"I'm half done," she informed me. "It's not due 'til next Thursday. Can I stop for now?"

"Will you work on it this weekend?" I countered. Nudge sighed. "Work until supper is ready."

Angel was working on her worksheet. Gazzy and Tommy sat next to each other, both writing in notebooks. Ella was still at lacrosse practice, but she would be home soon. As would Mom.

Iggy had supper in the oven by the time I finished the salad. Since it would be another half hour, I decided to go downstairs. I needed to listen to music and unwind.

I laid on my bed and put on my headphones. With the volume as high as it could go, I let myself relax.

I didn't hear anyone knock on the door. In fact, I didn't hear anyone open the door, or enter, until they were standing right over me, shaking my shoulder.

I grabbed the person's hand and twisted it while I pulled off my headphones. Nudge's eyes went wide open, terrified and in pain. I quickly let her go.

"Sorry, but you shouldn't come in my room," I sighed, standing up.

"It's suppertime," Nudge informed me. "You didn't answer when we called down here. And then you didn't hear me knock on the door... Or call your name..."

I rolled my shoulders. "Whatever. Let's eat."

Fang didn't come up for supper. So once we were done eating I made him a generous plate and brought it downstairs. I knocked on the door and entered, knowing he wouldn't tell me to come in or not.

I placed the plate on the desk. Fang was sitting on his bed, staring at me.

"Eat," I ordered, pointing to the food. "And I'll explain things. But only if you eat."

I could tell he was thinking it over. I waited patiently. Well, as patiently as I can get at least.

Finally he nodded and moved to the desk chair. I took his seat on his bed.

"I'll start with Angel and Gazzy..."

* * *

**There you go! I'm enjoying writing this story so far. Thanks for reading and please review! Next chapter will be finding out the different pasts!**

**Have an amazing day!**

**-Krisuvial-**


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